Peavy voted American League Pitcher of the Month
The Jake Peavy 2012 Comeback Tour is off to a torrid start.
Looking to stay completely healthy for the first time since the 2007 season — when he won the National League Cy Young Award with the San Diego Padres — Peavy has one month of baseball under his belt.
What a month it was.
The White Sox’ 30-year-old starting pitcher went 3-1 with a 1.67 ERA and 2 complete games in April. For his effort, Peavy was voted American League Pitcher of the Month for April.
“Obviously, I’m very blessed to win an award,” Peavy said. “To win an award, it’s a nice thing, but at the same time you can’t look back on that. We’ve got a long ways to go and I’ve got a big start Friday night against a division opponent (Detroit) in their ballpark, so I’m looking forward to that.”
Let’s take a quick look back.
Peavy has gone the distance in each of his last two starts. Over his last three, the right-hander’s allowed just 2 runs in 25 innings.
Gavin Floyd was the last Sox pitcher to win the monthly honor, in June 2010.
“I think (Peavy) definitely earned it,” manager Robin Ventura said. “He’s been great. I don’t think you can ask for anything more out of him, ERA and just the way he’s pitching, but the innings and complete games.
“I think looking at him in spring training, where he started and what he went through, that process of getting back to being healthy, it’s great for us but it’s real good for him, too.”
Peavy’s career was in serious jeopardy in 2010 after he suffered a detached latissimus dorsi muscle in his right posterior shoulder.
The injury has sapped some of his velocity, but Peavy proved he still knows how to pitch in April.
“I’m healthy,” he said. “I’m really not doing anything different that I ever have done. Obviously, back in the San Diego days, velocity-wise I may be a tick or so down. But if you watch other guys pitch who have been in the league kind of the same time I have and have the mileage, everybody slows down a bit.
“When you go through the times I went through, you learn a little bit about pitching and mixing and matching and experience. Experience goes a long way. I’ve had some tough years these past few years. To be healthy and to go out there and to worry about nothing but to execute the game plan you come up with is awfully nice.”